Kashevaroff Mountain Hike
 The Kodiak Audubon Society hosts a series of hikes
beginning in late March and running through the end of September.
We picked up a schedule of the hikes at the ranger station at Fort
Abercrombie campground. On Saturday
morning we joined a group of 16 people down at the ferry dock for the hike
scheduled for that day. The hike
would be an ascent up Kashevaroff Mountain.
The Audubon Society only charges $2 per person and $2 per dog to go on
the hike. We figured one could not
beat the price for having a guide show us the lay of the land.
Beverly Ferris lead the hike, but we were quickly left in the dust as the
sprightly Ferris quickly put it into high gear and was far ahead of us for most
of the trip.
 The trail begins 6.6 miles beyond Buskin River Bridge on
the Chiniak Highway. There is
enough parking on the left (bay) side of the road for only about seven cars and
trucks. Cross the road and walk
back toward town about 50 feet. The
trail is an ATV route, so it is easy to follow.
However, you are sharing the experience with ATV traffic, so make sure
you listen closely and step off the trail as they go flying by.
We only saw three during the four hours we spent hiking.
Follow the ATV trail up about two miles.
It is a steep trek, but not so steep that ATVs can’t make the climb. No scrambling was necessary.
At a couple of different points the trail goes through bog, but hikers
can walk into the grass and avoid swampy areas. Still, we recommend water resistant hiking boots. While
the rest of the pack charged up the mountain, Claimjumper and I took our time
and hiked with Beverly and Fred from Virginia Beach, along with their grandson
Ben, a local in Kodiak. Ben and I had fun communicating with one another
via our radios, and several kids at the nearby coast guard station joined in the
conversation.
 About two thirds to three quarters of the way up the ATV
tracks end. By this time one can
see the top. However, first make
your way up a saddle between two snow filled gullies (there was snow still there
in late June, but this may be all gone by end of July).
Drop down the gully to the right to find a good place to cross the
stream. There were some blue strips
of plastic tied to tree limbs marking the easiest crossing.
Once you are across you can pretty much pick your own way to the summit.
I went strait up to the ridge and then walked along it to the left (SSW)
and found the group at the peak. There
is a nice wide area at the top for a picnic and rumor has it hikers can enjoy
views of many of the surrounding snow covered peaks.
Clouds covered the summit by the time I reached the top, so the group
decided that the purpose of the trip was more the company than the views for
that particular day. It took
about two hours to reach the top with an elevation gain of approximately 2,000
feet. The hike was not difficult or dangerous, but it was a long steady
climb. The trail stretches about six miles round-trip.
 Coming back down it could be difficult to find the
beginning of the ATV trail unless you have marked the spot with a GPS reading or
you are good at retracing your steps.
I just followed Harvey and Dale, who were visiting from Minnesota.
We had caught up with these two fellow adventures and their wives on road
trips around the island the previous day. Now
I just used them to get where I needed to be.
Are they natural trackers, or did they just follow somebody else?
There are no facilities at the trailhead, nor along the
trail. There is also no cost to use the trail. Bring water and a
picnic for the top!
Click here to jump to a
topographical map of the hike.
Last visited June 2002
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